G-Men in the Strange Aeon

Making people disappear in the nights of 2085

On combat, and the importance of cover

We opened with Oma out cold, having been tazed in the head, and Marcus headed up the stairs to try and rescue him.

Using his authority and a measure of intimidation, Agent Liger pushed his way past the bouncers in the hall and into an outer office where he was confronted by a couple of guards bearing down. Ligers woeful orb immediately stunned one, and Marcus subdued the other at gunpoint. Next, faced with a locked door, he blew out the lock and stepped into the inner sanctum where a handful of guards pointing guns and surrounding a desk. Oma sat slumped in a chair with his back to the door.

Marcus put away his gun and addressed the men as to their intentions with Oma. A smartly dressed man behind the desk stood and said “he’s causing me some trouble in my club. Please,
have seat.” Liger refused to sit and their dialog continued. The man (presumably this was Gianni Reiner) seemed concerned about the amount of attention being paid to Plasma and how the eilite that attend might react to the news of the downstairs fight that would surely make the newsfeeds.

Oma began to come around as Gianni began asking what kind of investigation was being made at his club, offically or unofficially. Slowly, as his senses returned, a din of noise and thought built up in his head to a crescendo as the thoughts of all those in the area flooded into his head. As the wave crested, he sent out to Agent Meyer, who was still outside looking for a way in, “Get me the fuck out of here!” and the noise of a thousand thoguhts crashed down. Reiners eyes began to glow as Oma cluched his head and screaming “SHUT UP! SHUT UP!” The shreiking thought waved out, and all but Marcus and Reiner reeled from the shock.

“What have you done to him?” yelled Liger, and it seemed everyone jumped into action. Gianni produced a detailed illusion—a serpentine dragon rose from nowhere and the rooms lights go dark.
Oma immediately lashes out at the nearest guard, Vincent, as Marcus’ orb attempts to strike the dragon with little effect. Oma all but finishes off Vincent with a stab to the gut as the man tries to shoot him in the head.

Reiner spotlights the agents, making them targets to the gunfire of the now recovered guards.
Liger took an opportunity to dive for the back of the desk, through the dragon, and underneath to cover. The other bouncers fire, one killing Vincent in an ill-aimed shot. Liger took a hard round from Damon, seriously wounding him, and he crawled further beneath the desk for cover. The dragon shot photons under the desk,missing Liger, and Damon—following a shock from the orb—attempted to destroy it.

Leo arrived, blasting one bouncer in the back with a shotgun. Damon shoots out Ligers orb and Oma moves toward a darkened corner, slicing and looking for Reiner. Leo blasts the nearest bouncer dead. Reiner moved out of his veil of darkness and shot a blast of photons at Meyer.
Oma ran in and stabbed Riener, dodging a blast from the dragon. Unfortunately, Damon shot Oma square on, crippling the Nazzadi, and reiner moved back under the cover of his darkened wall, while Marcus continued to hide under the desk. Meyer turned his gun on another bouncer, but his shotgun suffered a serious malfunction.

With the distraction of nearby Oma swinging at him and is bleeding wound, Reiner dropped his photokinetic effects. The lights came on and the dragon disappeared. Leo tackled Damon and tried his gun. The shotgun sounded off, wounding Damon. Reiner produced a knife and stabs Oma who gargled “aaaarrrgh!” and passes out. Leo knocked out Damon with another shotgun round, and is quickly finished off by Liger under the desk. Reiner shoots a photon at Leo and moves to the door yelling “Shoot this mutha fucka!”

Liger crawled out and scored a lucky shot on Reiner, dropping him to the ground. Leo grit his teeth at the remaining bouncer, and the guy ran from the office. Meyer applied first aid to Oma, barely keeping him alive. However, the multiple head traumas caused Oma to fall into a deep coma.

And some shit happend

After reviewing the accounts of the theater investigation, Agent Meyer had other surveillance of Grossman analyzed for patterns. Melissa Chantilly appeared in his footage along with other known sorcerers that had made payments to the VCC. They centered on a popular club Plasma. In surveillance, Grossman seemed like he was getting comped at the club—cross referencing his appearances at the club, it appeared that his appearance at Plasma coincided with his purchase of the society ticket.

The investigators made plans to check out Plasma.

Showing the bouncer his magical “eyes”,Liger strode straight into the club without question.Oma latched on to two hotties and finessed his way in, after an unfortunate power failure.

Plasma was made mostly of glass walls that partitioned the club and sported plasma lighting effects between the panes. Reflective surfaces and trendy furniture for effect. Two staircases lead to an upper floor, each watched by a bouncer, that presumably led to VIP rooms, and the club offices. 2085 pop club music thumping loud, nasssty girls dancin’ on the floor.

On his way to the club, Leopold Meyer received intelligence from headquarters that the marked lapel pin was found to have DNA traces of a Gianni Reiner-a dangerous parapsychic and owner of Plasma. The family crest on the pin belonged to Reiners line.

Agent Meyer passed a warning to Liger via secure terminal. Liger also found Grossman was present and
approached him at the bar, trying to convince him that he was a friend of a friend and asking about the pass. He succeeded in getting Grossman to accept his story, and Grossman shared what he knew.

Meanwhile, Agent Meyer attempted to talk his way in the front door, and eventually flashed his OIS badge stating that Reiner has asked him to come. Oma attempted to help Meyer enter but without a good view of the situation, wasn’t able to assist much. A well dressed man came downstairs and talked with Meyer, refused his story and asked him to leave. Back inside Agents Liger and Oma met up inside, and the briefly conferred. With an idea to get around upstairs and snoop, Oma and Liger a patsy, then said “hold my drink, watch this”. Oma approached a guy on the dance floor and shouldered him, getting the guy a bit angry. Using his empathic influence Oma played him into believing that the bouncer by the stairs called his momma some unsavory names. Once he bought that, oma pushed his anger up into rage, and the guy charged, fighting like a wildcat. Bouncers from all over moved to intercept him. With all the staff distracted, Oma moved up the stairs.

Near the top was the well dressed suit that had turned Meyer away.
Trying to move like he belonged there, Oma turned down a hallway, only to be tased in the back of the head. Once down, the man moved in and pistol whipped him to make sure he was out. Seeing this, Liger moved in to help.

Fun with Gravikinesis

The agents returned to Chicago after wrapping up the scene in GOAS. Veronicke Lejune was assumed to have fled the area and could not be traced at that time.

After a short time spent catching up on their personal affairs, the agents followed up on what leads remained. The John Doe that committed suicide in the park was identified as Adam Aardvarkssön…no, wait…Drizzt Do’Urden (REALLY? I mean REALLY?). He was a bartender. OIS investigations turned up some strange activities in his recent history, including an unusually high attendance to theater plays, and a large deposit made to (what turned out to be) a shell company that traced back to the Venture Capital Corporation (VCC). Surveillance of the theaters that he frequented revealed that a high number or sorcerers were attending the same shows repeatedly, including one unregistered sorcerer, Alexander Grossman. Study of Grossman’s records showed a similar large deposit to VCC’s shell company. The agents resolved to attend one of the next shows to see what might shake loose.

In the meantime Oma spent some time researching recorded cases of parapsychic study in an effort to broaden his understanding of them. Marcus Liger filed his encyclopedic and firsthand knowledge of the parasitic creature they had faced, and then sequestered himself in his ritual space and prepared some spells he thought might be useful. Leopold Meyer visited the financial office that handled the accounts of the VCC shell company. He discovered that deposits of similar size from many private individuals were made to this account, but nothing was ever withdrawn. He pulled the local address for this company and went to investigate their office outside of the District of Chicago arcology. The building turned out to be a an old boarded up warehouse.

Acutely aware of the possibility of ninjas, Meyer thoroughly searched the building. His epic search turned up a rusty shuriken (no doubt a devious ninja trap, a ancient turd, an odd shoe print, and a lapel pin bearing the tribal symbol of an old druidic family. He left the building, no doubt with deadly ninja eyes watching.

The agents hit the next theater event. Meyer, Liger and Oma arrived separately to avoid notice. Most showed surreptitiously, but Oma attempted to draw the high profile element and showed up with an air of “Fuck yeah!” and noticed.

Shortly after taking his seat, a young (and we mean “young”) struck up conversation; she was obviously “very” into Omwa..“moist” would be the word. They discussed psychic registration, and it seems the young girl, Melissa, was and elemental para psychic specializing in gravikinesis. And oh so naughty!

The show started and the play turned out rather mediocre. Oma was extending his empathic senses
while Liger watched from the mezzanine with his magical faculties. With the darkened for the
show, Meyer was left to focus on the play.

OIS agents came to retrieve the body of the stranger in the park. He and his peek were taken back to headquarters for analysis. Agents Meyer, Liger and Oma went on to the awaiting military transport to the Greater Ohio Areas Sprawl (GOAS).

Upon landing the were met by a local OIS agent who escorted them into the arcology where Lejunes husband was housed. Agents Oma and Liger, who was still bearing the visage of the husband, took position in the apartment while Meyer took position as a building security officer.

It wasn’t long before a disheveled Veronicke entered the building and up the super-elevator. Meyer signaled the team that she is on the way. The agents upstairs prepared themselves for her arrival. Moments later, the apartment door buckled and blew into the front room.

Anger, dispair, fear and uncertainty emanated from her presence, though the emotions felt forced and unnatural. Oma began attempts to negate her uncontrolled emotions and Liger ran into the master bedroom to draw her into sniper fire, woeful orb in tow. Using powerful telekinesis, Lejune struck out at Oma while he exerted his emotional influence until she has only a core of pure anger. Liger pulled her attention from the bedroom, drawing her farther in. Meanwhile, Meyer hurried up to the apartment to help.

In a physicall and mentally straining effort, Oma breached the hard core of anger, and Veronicke dropped to the floor. In her place—a stunned, dark, semi-corporeal creature of otherworldly shape that was slowly becoming solid. Drawing upon what he already knew about Lejune, and taking in was transpiring, Liger deduced the nature of the creature. It was a parasite that amplified and fed upon the emotions of its host. When separated from a host and in a corporeal form, the entity was vulnerable to physical attacks, and also to psychic influence.

A blast from Ligers woeful orb stuns the creature and slows its formation just as Meyer arrived. Oma felt the creatures anger, uncertainty and a hunger, but nothing like he’s ever felt from a human or nazzadi. He set into it with his emotional projection, damaging it’s essence. Liger ripped a bullet through it’s body as it completed its corporeal transition.

While the agents were busy with the entity, Veronicke, now in control of her own emotions, shattered the bedroom window and escaped. With the creature incapacitated, the agents opted to neutralize the otherworldly creature instead of pursuing the escaped para psychic.

Pimp Lord Liger strikes out.

Agents Meyer and Liger underwent retraining for the OIS. Immediately following they were summoned to Director Thatchers (the Director In Charge, or DIC) where they were introduced to their new team mate, a parapsychic by the name of Oma.

Agent Shon Bon-hwa was tracking Veronike Lejeune, a wife and mother whose emerging parapsychic abilities erupted in a violent and bloody event which caused her to flee from authorities and her family. Strong telekinesis was observed and possibly some sensory faculties had developed. Her family had been moved to Cleveland under protective custody of the OIS. A tip had come in that a woman matching her description was spotted at a warehouse located in the fringe of the western Chicago sprawl commonly referred to as the Industrial Barrens. Agent Shon had taken a handful of tactical units to the site to try and apprehend Lejeune before she could hurt anyone else. It got ugly and Lejeune escaped. A few days later, Agent Shon disappeared.

Agent Marcus Liger: Occult Scholar. Agent Liger suspected that Lejeune would try to make contact with her family. He proposed that an agent bearing the visage of Lejeune’s husband be re-inserted into their usual routine in the hopes that she could be brought in when contact was made. Utilizing the resources of the OIS, he set the sting in motion with himself as the bait.

Agent Leopold Meyer: Veteran Detective. Agent Meyer set about tracing Shons list of people contacted throughout the course of his investigation.

Agent Oma: Parapsychic. Agent Oma pulled a familiar name from Shons list, and headed out to the Industrial Barrens where he knew Timana, leader of “The Famli”, could be found. The Famli is a territorial gang of young nazzadi homeless and runaways, to which Oma belonged, who squat in the Barrens near where Lejeune was confronted. Timana confesses to being the source of Agent Shon’s last tip off, and agreed to send scouts around the Barrens to see if she could be found hiding someplace else.

A couple of days after, the agents were called to the DICs office to be told that Agent Shon had been found. Lejeune had kidnapped and tortured him until he revealed the location where her husband and children had been taken. With Agent Liger still holding the visage of Lejeune’s husband, the agents immediately made a plan to fly to Cleveland and “put a Liger in the tank”. While en-route to the transport, Agents Meyer and Oma spotted a man watching them closely from across the nearby park. Oma found his face vaguely familiar, and touched his emotions to find them nervous and uncertain. Suspecting the person might be trying to make contact with the agents, Oma bluffed an excuse to remove himself from the group to try and bring the guy in. Unfortunately the man spooked and ran. Oma and Meyer immediately set off after him while Agent Liger attempted to distract and seduce their liasion, Agent Allison Vasquez. Oma andMeyer caught up to the runner in the center of a crowd where a very large man was picking a fight with him. Agent Oma attempted to pacify anger in both of them, but only half succeeded, and the fleeing man was knocked cold. Meyer managed to revive him, but the guy panicked and slipped himself a cyanide capsule. The only thing of use that was recovered was the mans personal PCPU.

"You're suspended, Meyer!" and Ligers are bred for their skills in magic.

Federal Security Bureau
Los Angeles Arcology Office

Case File: A2356IO9-E7
From the desk of August Conroy
Final case file report

Investigation of the crime scene at which FSB Agent Marcus Liger was assaulted by the unidentifed bioform turned up little evidence. Items recovered from the scene are as follows: (1) brimmed hat-brown in color; (1) partially torn long coat-brown in color; holes in coat in evidence of the assault by the powered armor units employed to disable the target bioform; (1) sunglasses-black in color, broken; (1) entry ticket stub-Sandys Red-Hot All Night Cabaret; (1) Doorman® brand entry key-card; (27) agent photographs of crime scene and target bioform (post-mortem).

Following investigation at the scene of the assult, Agent Meyer took the Doorman® brand entry key-card to the residence of Sjourd Voss in an attempt to ascertain if the key card belonged at his location so that it could be returned to its rightful owner. Investigation proved positive. Disciplinary action for Agent Meyer enforced. (See report issued by Assistant Directors Office).

Agent Liger and I procured one pair of event tickets for the Sjourd Voss concert (Procurement Authorization A28450-8), and took them to Professor Bartlett as a gesture of the FSB’s gratitude for his aid in consultation on this case. He was presented with photographs of the previously documented bioform. His professional conjecture is that the bioform is likely to be the same as recorded upon a cave painting dated back to approximately 600 B.C. (see Article In Evidence #9b) found in the region currently known as Cyprus. Connection with the previously documented ‘Summoning Cult’ is thought to be likely, but unproven at this time. Professor Bartlett also offered intelligence that a manuscript documenting the rituals of said cult are rumored to exist, but also cannot be proven at this time.

Agent Liger was assaulted en-route to his residence by a person of magical means. Agent Liger fended off the assault upon his person and apprehended the suspect, remanding him to the custody of FSB agents for booking. The suspect was positively identified as Eric Moen (see suspect dossier), and the same named person of interest that this investigation has been attempting to locate.

Prior to interrogation, agents from the [CLASSIFIED] arrived and assumed possession of all suspects, documentation, evidence, and materials relating to this case.

Just outrun the hooker

Excerpt from the journal of August X.
After what seems like an eternity of kicking over rocks, we FINALLY interceped Sjourd Voss’ girlfriend, Rachel VanDeen. Leo (I’m not sure if he is ok with being called Leo. Making a point to ask his cat. Does he have a cat? If he doesn’t have a cat, I know where we can get one…no…no, wait. That place is closed now.) managed to persuade her into giving us some information. Rachel admits no memory to the public breakup that occurred a few weeks prior, and when faced with video documentation, she assumed it was falsified. However, I think she really likes my blue coat. She mentioned that a strange man visits Sjourd when people aren’t around, and that she tries to avoid him because she gets a weird vibe off of him. Showing her a photo of the “dirty man” that the tech gremlins back at the office are tracing, she positively identified him as the same man. Said his name was Eric.

Better now. I will have to save Eric for the couch this week. It’s not a blue couch. Shame. I will take some paint.
Oh, this was a surprise! Leopold actually managed to get full sanction for bugging one of the limousines and installing a D-Engine Remote Interrupt Protocol (DRIP) device (my own design-and BLUE!). Marcus planted an attuned object in the car (I think we settled on one of the stock crystal tumblers from the mini-bar), and Leopold planted a bug. We’ve also posted a couple of plain-clothes agents near Voss’ apartment to keep an eye out for Er…um….the “dirty man”.

Early next morningLeopold and I were called out of bed. He smells like bourbon and doesn’t look like he’s slept. And his coat is rumpled. Ugh. Wrinkles. Mental note: iron EVERYTHING when I get home! And why he wears that thing inside the arcology I will never understand. When I ask him about it, he mumbles something about being ‘hard boiled’. As if eggs had anything to do with this. Really.

Anyway, seems Marcus and “guest” were attacked in an alley by a figure in a trenchcoat. How cliche. I bet it was rumpled. I don’t think Evidence would mind if I ironed what was left of it. So, Marcus managed to call in backup and a squad killed whatever it was. Because whatever it was, it was not human. Around the bullet and needle holes, we can tell that it was one ugly fucker [omit that from final report] and it had tentacles. Tentacles. Tentacles like…they remind me of those things…at…Juneau tentaclestentaclestentaclesjuneautentaclestentaclesjuneaujuneautentaclesjuneaujuneau UNNGH! Ok. Smoke.

<>

Wonder if we can connect the creature to the cult that Professor Bartlett was on about? If we can positively connect them to Sjourd Voss, we might have what we need to get official warrants on his activities. Heading to the dispensary. Need more cannabis.

Leo gets a bum leg

Leo & Eddie talk to Ms. Ibenez (Naked News reporter). She was asked about Rachel VanDeen, Sjourd Voss, and the Bodyguard without results. She did mention a “dirty old man” that shows up periodically. Tony “The Rod”s fingerprints were found in her dressing room but are possibly unrelated. (Then again…)

Leo contacts a legal drug dealer he knows, Vreta. Vreta points them to Barry Levinsvitz who delivers drugs from time to time to Sjourd’s apartment. Leo and Eddie visit Barry. Leo bounces off of Barry’s reinforced doors. Barry runs and Eddie chases him down in an alley. After shaking him down a bit, Barry also mentions the “dirty man”. Eddie arrests Barry.

Back at headquarters, reports are filed on findings. Eddie and Marcus interrogate Barry and show him pictures of Voss’ knows associates and he points out the “dirty man” but as of yet he has no known criminal record. The agency technicians are tasked with locating him.

In the meantime Leo, Eddie, & August develop a plan to either bug Voss’ next limosine, or sabotage the car and create a disturbance with the aim of shaking a reaction out of the bodyguard.

As agents of the FSB, the DC’s were dispatched to investigate a rock star of recent fame, Sjourd Voss. Agency “watchdogs” had identified a possible cult symbol used in some material promoting a concert tour. Voss’s breakup with his high profile girlfriend, model Rachel VanDeen, was a public spectacle, and the media followers were shocked to see the two of them making recent public appearances together.

Voss had also gained an unidentified bodyguard who remains a mystery despite current investigations. He is described as large figure in a long coat, brimmed hat, and sunglasses. He speaks to no one and exudes a sense of malice.

Other intelligence also notes that although Voss is unregistered as a sorcerer, he has been receiving periodic deliveries of magical components and supplies.

The team planned to intercept Ms. VanDeen after her regular therapy appointment, one of the few places they were sure the might speak with her without Sjourd or his entourage around. That was a couple days off still, so Marcus and August tracked down Voss at an exclusive club, TNH, where he was hosting the latest leg of his perpetual party in a VIP room. They were able to confirm only that there was something definitely not right with the bodyguard and his mystical presence is strangely void.

Meanwhile Leo staked out Voss’s residence. When the party train returned to home, Leo spoke with a couple of the drivers and managed to shake loose a few names. He set out the next day to speak with Ms. Ibanez, host of “The Naked News” program as well as one of his old beat contacts on the street.

Marcus also paid a visit to his old Defense Against the Dark Arts err… college magical studies professors, Professor Bartlett. Bartlett told Marcus that the symbol identified in Voss’s concert poster belonged to an ancient cult know to deal with ritual summoning, and their appearance in history usually correlated to the disappearance of civilizations.

A blog for your campaign

While the wiki is great for organizing your campaign world, it’s not the best way to chronicle your adventures. For that purpose, you need a blog!

The Adventure Log will allow you to chronologically order the happenings of your campaign. It serves as the record of what has passed. After each gaming session, come to the Adventure Log and write up what happened. In time, it will grow into a great story!

Best of all, each Adventure Log post is also a wiki page! You can link back and forth with your wiki, characters, and so forth as you wish.

One final tip: Before you jump in and try to write up the entire history for your campaign, take a deep breath. Rather than spending days writing and getting exhausted, I would suggest writing a quick “Story So Far” with only a summary. Then, get back to gaming! Grow your Adventure Log over time, rather than all at once.